Agriculture

A bulldozer starts the installation of geothermal system for turkey barns. An MU researcher has designed a new geothermal system that could save farmers quite a lot of money. Photo courtesy MU.

While Americans prepare to heat up millions of turkeys in their ovens on Thanksgiving, a geothermal energy system developed by a University of Missouri engineer will be keeping live turkeys toasty during the chilly autumn weather.

COLUMBIA, Mo. ­— The long summer drought in Missouri has ruined a large portion of this year’s crop harvest and a University of Missouri equine veterinarian says the negative effects of the dry weather can still be seen across the state.

OWENSVILLE, Mo. - Gov. Jay Nixon was in Gasconade County to recognize Charlie Schlottach and White Mule Winery with the Governor's Award for Agricultural Achievement, which honors outstanding farmers, growers and processors for their work with agricultural commodities and their communities.

New Haven, Mo. - Watch a trimmed version of Gov. Jay Nixon’s speech Tuesday morning at Scheer Dairy Farm as well as remarks from Rick Scheer after receiving the Governor’s Agricultural Achievement Award

New Haven, Mo. – Tuesday morning, Governor Jay Nixon recognized Rick Scheer and the Scheer Family Dairy Farm with the Governor’s Award for Agricultural Achievement, which honors outstanding farmers, growers, and processors for their work with agricultural commodities and their communities.

Missouri News Horizon— While the hot temperatures may be gone, the effects of this summer’s drought are still lingering with Missouri farmers.

The pain is shared throughout the state’s agriculture industry, and that include’s the state’s hog farmers. No, the bacon and pork chops will not be absent from the shelves, but the cost of feed for Missouri farmers hurts where it counts, which may transfer to consumers.

Jerett Rion, COLUMBIA, Mo. – In a recent survey published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), officials reported that more than one-third of U.S. farmers are 65 years old or older, and half of current farmers plan to retire in the next decade. With fewer young people staying home to take over their family farms, the average age of American farmers is increasing rapidly.

GOODMAN, Mo. — Among members of the Missouri dog breeding community, the wounds of 2010 have yet to heal.

That year, Missouri voters approved a ballot measure that strengthened regulations on the industry dealing with treatment of animals. Much of the law was overturned by lawmakers in the 2011 session of the Missouri General Assembly, with the support of Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, who signed compromise legislation brokered between agriculture and animal rights stakeholders.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will host an event Sept. 22 in Warrenton aimed at helping residents of the St. Louis region rid their homes and farms of unwanted pesticides and related chemicals.

--Congress returns to Washington this week for a quick, pre-election, and one of the first issues expected to come up in the U.S. House of Representatives is the 2013 farm bill.

Despite a bipartisan push for the legislation and calls for passage by many agriculture stakeholders suffering from the summer’s drought, it appears the legislation is simply stuck in ever-present Washington gridlock.

Jerry Taylor, Photo courtesy MUCOLUMBIA, Mo. ­— Each year, in the state of Missouri, cattle ranchers breed 2 million cows. Yet, only about 85 to 90 percent of those cattle actually birth a calf. The other cows either are not able to get pregnant or they miscarry.

Missouri News Horizon-Farmers who missed out on the state program for emergency water aid now have another place to go for help.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency centers are offering to help farmers get water to their drought stricken animals. Gerald Hrdina, who lead’s the program’s effort in Columbia, said while the federal program can be helpful, it does not pay quite as much as the state program does.